Family of Winter Haven Taser Victim Seeks Answers

That’s the number of men who have died after being stunned by law enforcement officers in Orange County, FL in the last decade. Debate, both pro and con, on whether using electrical stun devices is moral, necessary, and dangerous rages on among law enforcement agencies and civil rights groups.

Meanwhile, one family is just seeking answers.

On April 22, 2011 a 33-year-old man who had left a midnight showing of “Scream 4” at Universal Studio City Walk in Orlando began to flail his arms and behave strangely, according to witnesses. Universal security and off-duty Orlando police officers who work for the theme park claim they tried to calm the man, but when he became aggressive, one of the off-duty police officers deployed his Taser.

According to a Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) investigation, after the initial shock, the man continued to resist, and he was shocked three more times to subdue him. One officer on the scene reported that the man still continued to resist, even after being double-handcuffed and having his legs tied together – and “then all of a sudden everything stopped.”
He ceased breathing. Attempts to resuscitate him failed and he died at the hospital.

The family of the victim sees a disconnect between the man described by police and the man they knew – unlike many victims of stun device-related fatalities, the man had no drugs in his system, no police record, and no history of mental illness or violent behavior.

While the family is reviewing legal options, the victim’s fiancée told the Orlando Sentinel she blames the police for his death. “The situation was handled wrong; if kind of seems like things were taken too far,” she said.

If you believe improper use of a stun device by law enforcement has led to an injury or even a death, contacting an Orange County taser victim attorney at Farah & Farah makes sense when you are looking for a consummate professional who will explain your legal options and work tirelessly to protect your legal rights. Call us at (800) 533-3555.